Chapter 0670 The Three Eastern Emperors' Clash
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"Why do you invade Darwei's territory?"
"Everything, far and wide, is the territory of the Choouchi Empire. It is only that the rightful ruler has returned."
"Don't talk nonsense. Choouchi doesn't even appear in the histories."
"I shall teach the ignorant people of Darwei the return of their true ruler."
While the armies of Darwei and the Choouchi Empire faced each other, each side's envoys asserted their own legitimacy and denounced the other's misconduct.
It was by no means mere name-calling.
In the eastern countries, this sort of exchange is sometimes held before two forces clash on the battlefield.
The Choouchi Empire had secured Shuntai Castle on the southern bank of the North River.
The Darwei army had advanced north to intercept the Choouchi forces that did not move from there.
Naturally, the battlefield was set on the Pyurai Plain, south of Shuntai Castle.
The Choouchi forces were arrayed on the north side of the Pyurai Plain.
The Darwei forces were arrayed on the south side.
Both armies were led by their emperors.
"As expected, the emperors themselves don't step forward and argue face-to-face, huh."
"Well, that won't happen. If it did, Darwei would be in trouble, right?"
"Is that so? Our emperor isn't at all dull. His concern for the people is real. He said himself that he was a bit befuddled after the crown prince died, but now he seems to have regained his old strengths. He shouldn't lose in a debate!"
"Hmm, that's not the point—ours is a human, theirs is a phantomkin. If he attacked, it would be over in an instant."
"Ah…"
Ryo fell silent at Abel's remark.
Indeed, one could not say that the possibility was nil.
"I'll suggest later that His Majesty wear
"No, that exchange seemed formal enough; it looks finished."
The envoys who had been asserting legitimacy returned to their respective camps.
Of course, no one's win-or-loss was decided by the 'claims of legitimacy'.
Ryo and Abel were sitting at a corner of the Darwei main camp.
Beside the staff of Prince Ryun.
Prince Ryun himself stood close to Emperor Tsuin, and near him were his chief aides: Chamberlain Lin Shun, attendant Wen Shu, and Captain Lu Yao.
There were several large packages around, and seeing Captain Lu Yao and members of the prince's Yulin guard's magic artillery unit adjusting them from time to time, they looked like alchemy devices.
Ryo was curious, but, not wishing to interfere, only glanced now and then.
Secretly, Abel shook his head in a small gesture at Ryo's furtive looks.
"Enemy movement!"
A scout who had been watching through a spyglass shouted.
"Predictable— the opening move was to send monsters."
"Goblins, as expected."
"To think goblins would advance so orderly."
Captain Lu Yao and Chamberlain Lin Shun nodded with apparent expectation, while Wen Shu looked surprised at the goblins' un-goblinlike discipline.
"Pig-headed… are those orcs? I've seen orcs move in formation, but goblins are usually slapdash."
"Slapdash… Well, I see what Ryo means. Orcs are said to be smarter; goblins aren't as bright. You wouldn't expect them to march in formation."
"In other words, the phantomkin can completely control monsters. Not just crude commands like 'walk' or 'attack', but precise orders."
"Exactly."
Previously, the monsters Ryo, Abel, and Prince Ryun had faced on the Midorisou Plain had been orcs.
Monsters led by General Yun.
Orcs are relatively intelligent and can fight in organized units even in the wild, so while that encounter was surprising, it was less shocking than this.
Goblins are not like that. Not at all.
"Still, judging from Chamberlain Lin Shun and Captain Lu Yao's expressions, it seems within their expectations, so the command echelon probably won't panic."
"I see."
Abel pointed that out and Ryo nodded.
Even if something exceeds expectations, as long as it doesn't surpass the plan by too much, it's manageable.
That seems true of anything.
"About three thousand goblins!"
At that report, orders flew out from the Darwei main camp.
"Let the magic corps intercept!"
The order came from Commander Tin Meu of the Imperial Guard.
The lack of anyone else's command suggests this was the prearranged procedure.
On command, the Darwei magic corps opened fire in unison.
Thousands of fire-attribute offensive spells flew.
"Impressive."
"Quite a spectacle."
Even Ryo and Abel were awed.
However…
Before the spells struck the goblins, every one of them was deflected in midair.
"Huh…"
"Something's floating."
Ryo exclaimed in surprise; Abel, with his keen eyesight, pointed it out.
Ryo hurriedly brought his spyglass to bear.
"Talismans!"
Yes—these were the things.
The enemy were phantomkins.
The so-called 'vessel' without 'substance' could use sorcery.
They could launch talismans.
Most likely, the bulk of the phantomkins were hidden inside Shuntai Castle, held as a bridgehead.
"That castle is quite a distance away… can talismans be sent that far?"
"I heard, back when Queen Iliaja of the Suje Kingdom was attacked, that they couldn't be thrown that long a distance."
That incident occurred after the then-princess Iliaja had been called by the crown princess and then attacked.
"Maybe the presence of a Phantom King boosts that sort of ability?"
"Boost? As in strengthened? If so, that's plausible."
"Marie-san was a magician, but phantomkins and a Phantom King seem more tied to sorcery than to regular magic."
"Right. Maybe it's a racial trait."
On Ryo's remark, Abel agreed.
"We still know far too little about the phantomkins."
"We hardly know ourselves, humans. It's natural to be ignorant of other races."
"But we're fighting them. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you'll not be imperiled in a hundred battles."
"Sun Tzu's pretty great."
Abel nodded in admiration.
Protected by hundreds of talisman-shields floating in the air, the goblins advanced in orderly formation.
The Darwei army, it seemed, had no immediate countermeasures and stayed still.
"They probably considered talismans, but…"
"There's a chance they didn't expect talismans from that distance."
Abel and Ryo watched the unmoving Darwei army with concern.
But looking around, those nearby did not seem flustered.
Chamberlain Lin Shun and Captain Lu Yao were calm.
While Wen Shu merely frowned a little…
The goblin units advanced with talismans floating before them, but at a certain point, all the talismans that had been floating in the air dropped.
"Huh?"
"They fell."
At the next moment, as if waiting for that, the Darwei magic corps unleashed its barrage.
Thousands of offensive spells struck the goblins.
"What on earth…"
"A mana blocking barrier."
The answer to Ryo's question came from Captain Lu Yao, who was also an alchemist.
"A mana blocking barrier? It cuts off magic power?"
"Yes. It's an alchemy device we had placed near where the talismans fell."
"Such a thing… An alchemy device?"
"Although we call it a device, it's fairly large and takes time to set up and activate. Darwei itself doesn't have many of them. In fact, Prince Churei's forces were caught in melee before they could set up and activate theirs, because they were so large."
"But being able to cut off mana supply is amazing."
Ryo was excited to learn about this new alchemy device Captain Lu Yao described.
Talismans used by sorcerers rely on the caster's magic power to fly and to produce effects.
Talismans don't carry magic stones.
So if you can cut off that mana supply, the talisman's efficacy fails and they fall.
That the Darwei side had pre-installed and activated such a thing meant this too was within Darwei's expectations.
"Darwei's foresight is impressive."
"That's because Prince Ryun is with them."
When Ryo offered straightforward praise, Captain Lu Yao explained the reason.
Prince Ryun was apparently competent as a commander.
"Damn it! What does this mean!"
On the walls of Shuntai Castle, where the Choouchi imperial main camp sat, Emperor Wangshan Ku shouted in fury.
The surrounding aides were silent.
Some guessed what had happened but did not speak up.
Because an excited Emperor Wangshan Ku would not heed such counsel.
It's best to wait until he calms down.
But sometimes he would not calm quickly…
"Lin Sui's earlier intel did not include such a thing, did it!"
"Perhaps Lin Sui himself did not know."
"That fool! That's why incompetents are detestable!"
Lin Sui—once said to be Prince Bin's closest aide—was insulted for some reason.
"If the talismans cannot be used, then do it by force. Send out armored ogres! Push them to the front and march the goblins behind them!"
Emperor Wangshan Ku ordered a brute-force push.
Those around him did not particularly stop him.
They convinced themselves it was one option…
Watching from a little apart on the wall was someone who said,
"Our emperor truly sucks at war."
The Phantom King chuckled, shaking his head.
"But that's all part of the plan."
"Ah, do keep pushing by force. That's why we gave you monsters and put the 'vessels' under our command."
The black-robed Taoran said, and the Phantom King added an explanation.
"The more theatrically they move, the better the diversion."
"General Yun and the scouting unit are ready."
"Understood. Make them wait a little longer."
The Phantom King nodded to Taoran's new report.
"An ogre in armor will likely reach them. The rest of the maneuvering starts when it becomes close-quarters. Now… let me watch this fight between humans and monsters a little longer."
That movement was visible even from the Darwei main camp.
"An iron wall?"
"It's moving."
Because constantly peering through spyglasses tires the eyes, Ryo and Abel mostly used naked sight.
They could tell that a row of light-reflecting metal looked like a wall, but could not determine exactly what it was.
"Enemy is sending armored ogres forward!"
A spotter attached to the main camp shouted.
He always watched through a spyglass.
That must be tiring, Ryo thought, but…
"Ryo could take over."
"I think Abel's keen eyes are the right fit."
In the end neither moved.
Each must perform their role.
It's not good to invade another's domain!
"Armoring the ogres to make them moving shields, huh."
"A brutally straightforward tactic."
Ryo and Abel were stunned by the bluntness of the idea.
Though they recognized its effectiveness.
At the same time, it was something other countries likely couldn't pull off.
"Anyway, you can't make an ogre wear armor, can you?"
"They wouldn't obey such an order."
"Controlling monsters is amazing."
"A lot of previously unthinkable things might come out of this."
Both Ryo and Abel sighed.
"Hmm."
Abel tilted his head.
"What is it, Abel?"
"Well, this scene feels familiar somehow."
"Déjà vu?"
"De-ja-vu?"
"A sense of déjà vu. Like, I shouldn't have seen this before, but it feels like I did. Though it's just my imagination."
Ryo declared.
"No, I remember. The Union."
"The Union?"
"When the Handal Union invaded the Inbury Duchy."
"Ah! They pushed artificial golems to the front and stormed the walls, right?"
Both recalled it.
Against a city where the duke holed up and installed something like Vaedra, the Union shoved artificial golems to the forefront and forced a direct assault.
The golems intercepted the city's Vaedra attacks and the city ultimately fell.
"But wasn't the Union led by a Governor?"
"Yes, Lord Aubrey."
"Right, I heard Lord Aubrey is called a 'great general'—a masterful commander."
"Exactly."
"If this operation is similar to that, then armoring ogres and pushing them forward is the sort of tactic a brilliant general would use!"
Ryo was amazed.
Could such a great commander be behind the phantomkin side?
"Well… is that so?"
But Abel was skeptical.
"The way they handled the goblins earlier doesn't look like classy sense."
"Ah, that might have been deliberate."
"…Really?"
"No, sorry, maybe… they're not that skilled."
In the end, Ryo rescinded his earlier amazement.
The same tactic can be praised when done by a famed general and criticized when done less skillfully.
The world is unfair.
But whatever the tactic, results will follow…
Success or failure…
"All arrow attacks are being blocked by the armor!"
"Magic attacks don't work either—new rounds of talismans are floating!"
Reports came into the Darwei main camp.
"When they reach another mana-blocking barrier, the talismans will fall. But…"
"That armor—and if it's ogres, they would just charge through direct magic hits."
"Even if we kill the ogres, the goblins behind will turn it into close-quarters fighting."
Those were the conversations among the aides in the main camp.
Emperor Tsuin looked at Commander Tin and said,
"Tin, mobilize ten thousand of the Imperial Guard."
"Understood! "
Tin nodded once to his rear.
Receiving the order was Deputy Commander Yi-Shima.
He would command the Imperial Guard at the front.
A commander in his early thirties forged under Tin and experienced battle many times.
He had once intercepted a southward Peiyu army under Prince Ryun's command.
"They've crossed the mana-blocking barrier."
"The talismans have fallen!"
Abel, using his eyesight, announced it, and Ryo cried out excitedly.
"The armored ones have started to run."
"A frontal charge. Brute force as always."
Ryo and Abel could see the armored ogres begin to run.
Of course, the goblins behind them also began to run.
After a while, something was thrown in unison from the Darwei lines toward the running ogres.
They threw bola-like weapons—two fist-sized iron balls connected by a rope.
They wind around the legs of the charging ogres—sometimes both legs, sometimes one.
And the ogres lost balance and fell.
"Bolas!"
"A linked ball. A bit larger than usual?"
Ryo shouted the Earth name for the weapon; Abel used the kingdom's name.
"Eh? Abel, you know that weapon?"
"Yeah. They exist in the Central Countries as well. But those thrown just now are a bit larger. Maybe prepared specifically for ogre countermeasures."
While they spoke, events continued to unfold.
The moment the armored ogres' legs were entangled and they fell, the Darwei forces unleashed a concentrated magic barrage on the goblins running behind them.
Even commanded goblins were flustered when the ogres at their front collapsed and spells rained down.
Their advance halted.
"Charge! "
Without hesitation, the order to the Imperial Guard was given.
The distance at which the bolas could reach was already under ten meters.
In military terms, it was well within arm's reach.
The Darwei soldiers had managed to restrain themselves even as two-and-a-half-meter-tall ogres bore down upon them.
Ordinary soldiers would not manage that.
Fear would trigger an uncontrolled reaction.
But these were the Imperial Guard.
The emperor's personal protectors.
Darwei's finest.
The reason they were the finest of the finest was simply the strength of their spirit.
Their suppressed restraint, built up over and over, became a powerful counterforce.
Ten thousand imperial guards formed spearpoints and charged.
Though armored, the fallen ogres were slow, and the spears thrust through gaps in the armor to finish them.
Against the goblins behind, it was a one-sided slaughter.
"The Imperial Guard is incredible."
"Of course, mere goblins won't stand a chance."
"Was this planned in advance?"
"The preparation of larger-linked balls and such—yes. Prince Ryun did well."
Ryo and Abel both held Prince Ryun in high regard.
That was why they had helped in the imperial contest.
Yet Prince Ryun showed power even beyond their high expectations, leaving them astonished.
"We should bring him back to the kingdom to take charge of our military planning…"
"Impossible."
Abel denied Ryo's muttering.
Of course they spoke in low voices.
Jokes aside, Lin Shun and Captain Lu Yao, who adored Prince Ryun, were nearby…
"Don't we have someone like that in the kingdom?"
"Phelps is that type."
"Phelps-san? The heir of Marquis Heinlein, a B-rank adventurer, handsome, with female popularity surpassing Abel's—Phelps-san?"
"…I don't know why you added that last bit, but yes, that Phelps. His father too has deep insight into warfare. It's like a family business."
Abel shrugged.
It seemed the kingdom had excellent people at its core.
"Does our Prime Minister, Marquis Heinlein, have any weaknesses?"
"…Cooking, maybe?"
"Is he bad at cooking?"
"I heard such a rumor long ago."
"Well, as a marquis and prime minister, he probably doesn't need to cook."
"Right."
Some people produce top-class results in anything.
If they are on your side, that is reassuring.
Just don't make them cook…
While Ryo and Abel whispered, events progressed.
"The Imperial Guard is overwhelming, but the enemy keeps throwing more at us."
"Are their monsters inexhaustible?"
"I wonder where they procure those monsters. If phantomkins could create monsters, that would be a huge problem."
"They do keep sending wave after wave, but the Imperial Guard is handling it. Rotating about a thousand at a time."
"Oh, really. They're swapping with troops in the main camp. Giving moderate rest. That's possible because the front is so close."
"One advantage of mobilizing a huge army is that you can keep fighting while resting parts. Those rested troops serve as reserves when needed."
"True."
Ryo nodded to Abel's explanation.
Defeating many with few is romantic but not the proper way of war.
Darwei is a great power.
And it seems they have the know-how to deploy large armies.
"Is this… some kind of stalemate?"
"You could say that. Will one side get impatient and launch a big move?"
"Which side would lose patience first? Definitely them, right?"
"Completely agree."
Then the spotter shouted,
"Enemy… numerous flying bodies!"
But people in the main camp tilted their heads.
"Flying bodies?"
They each looked through their spyglasses.
Even then, the flying objects that had just left Shuntai Castle could not be identified.
Still, there was a water-attribute magician who could sense movements within a few hundred meters without needing visual confirmation.
"No way…"
Ryo's face showed surprise.
"What's wrong, Ryo?"
"The spotter called them flying bodies, but…"
The spotter shouted again.
"Wyverns! Over fifty wyverns!"
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"So they can even command wyverns, after all."
Prince Ryun muttered bitterly.
They had expected it.
But it was the worst-case expectation.
Understandably so.
Wyverns are entirely different from goblins, orcs, or even ogres.
You could say their rank as monsters was in a different class.
Prince Ryun glanced toward a corner of the main camp.
His aides were there, but the person he most wanted was already gone.
Apparently, they had moved immediately after the wyverns were sighted.
"Lu Yao, sorry for always causing trouble."
The mutter passed unheard.
The moment the flying bodies launched from Shuntai Castle were confirmed to be wyverns, Captain Lu Yao sprang into action.
Of course, her magic artillery unit did as well.
They headed for a large alchemy device that had been placed in a corner of the main camp and covered with a tarpaulin.
Ryo noticed the movement at once.
"Abel, it's time!"
"Hm?"
"You know—that alchemy device. The one Captain Lu Yao and her team was adjusting. It was covered so we couldn't see it from outside."
"Oh, that huge thing. It's about the size of a wagon."
"A wagon-sized battlefield alchemy device reminds me of the 'Panacea Breath — Long-range Diffusion: Mercy of the Goddess'! It was effective in the final battle against the Djinn, right?"
"It was. Thanks to that, many soldiers' lives were saved."
"Whoa!"
The 'Panacea Breath — Long-range Diffusion: Mercy of the Goddess' had been an alchemy device Ryo and Viscount Kenneth Hayward built; it spread light-attribute healing magic across the battlefield.
Ryo hadn't been present when it was used, but Abel later told him it had produced remarkable effects.
Since that long-range diffusion device was roughly the size of a wagon, their curiosity about this similarly sized device was natural.
The cover was removed and the device was pulled forward.
"A giant chair?"
"With a cannon attached?"
Abel and Ryo couldn't make sense of it at first.
Then, an inspiration flashed in Ryo's mind.
Probably because of his earthbound knowledge.
"Anti-aircraft gatling, right?"
A gunner sits in a chair and a multi-barrel cannon is mounted in front of them, pointing to the sky.
The chair and the cannon rotate together to intercept incoming flyers…
A weapon that existed in World War II.
This one wasn't that sophisticated, and it had a single barrel-like protrusion rather than multiple.
Captain Lu Yao was already seated in the chair.
The cannon pulled forward and its base was fixed to the ground.
The seat and cannon could apparently move freely as Lu Yao aimed.
Around it…
"There are about fifty people?"
"Yes. They're the magic artillery unit."
Even to Abel and Ryo, the sight was strange.
Everyone was holding a cord that extended from the cannon.
"That mechanism…"
"The magic artillery bunch are holding cords. Come to think of it, the Mercy of the Goddess had priests holding cords, too."
"Yeah. Mana is transmitted to the device along those cords. After many experiments with Kenneth, that proved to be the method with the least loss of magic power… I imagine this cannon uses cords for the same reason."
"Amazing."
"Great minds follow similar paths, perhaps."
Ryo nodded deeply.
Viscount Kenneth Heyward was, in Ryo's mind, a genius alchemist he half-considered a teacher.
Captain Lu Yao was also an alchemist of such caliber that Ryo would gladly hand over Friendship Token No.2-kun.
From his perspective, both were true 'intellectuals' of alchemy.
"Lu Yao, fire at the right moment!"
"Roger!"
Prince Ryun gave the order; Lu Yao nodded.
She moved the cannon a little… and fired.
BOOM!
An astonishingly loud blast, and a single white fireball launched.
The white fireball struck the leading wyvern's head as intended, instantly engulfing the entire head in flame.
The wyvern's head was obliterated.
Naturally, the directly hit wyvern plummeted.
"Whoa!"
"Incredible!"
Cheers erupted in the Darwei main camp.
But Prince Ryun did not join the applause.
"Talismans can't protect such large wyverns. Still, what force."
"Yeah, the power is overwhelming."
Ryo praised it while Abel grimaced.
"Here comes the usual nitpicking swordsman routine? Sometimes you should just dish out praise."
"No—that thing packs such a punch… how many shots can it fire?"
"Eh…"
Abel's remark made Ryo realize the same thing.
The question was the cannon's durability.
Looking at Captain Lu Yao and the others, they were already aiming the next wyvern and firing again.
Many in the main camp cheered, but Prince Ryun's face remained tight.
"Does Prince Ryun know the cannon won't hold up?"
"He must. That's probably why he looks sour."
"Maybe after that cannon breaks, there's no next plan prepared?"
"Probably not; we're talking about wyverns. In the kingdom, a single wyvern is said to take twenty or more C-rank adventurers to bring down…"
"Given that this device is downing them in one shot, it's an incredible alchemy device."
"Indeed, it is."
From the two's experience in the Central Countries, this device's performance bordered on abnormal.
The logic, however, was simple.
Even in the Central Countries, you'd prepare twenty-plus C-rank adventurers, with many magicians.
For this device, fifty magicians were now pouring magic into it…
"About fifty wyverns took off, didn't they?"
"There were about that many."
"How many can that 'cannon' shoot down…"
"If we had more time, we might have managed somehow."
"Right. The difficulty with weapons is their durability under continuous use. Even swords are like that, aren't they?"
"When swords clash, they heat up. When they heat up, they weaken. That alchemy device must be the same…"
"It's firing fire-attribute magic, and continuously at that, without sufficient time to cool."
At Ryo's words, Abel tilted his head and asked:
"Why not cool it with your water-attribute magic, Ryo?"
"Ah… I understand what you're getting at, but if I cool it too rapidly, it'll probably crack."
"Is that so?"
"I think it needs to cool down naturally and slowly. But right now, we don't have that kind of time."
"So Captain Lu Yao and Prince Ryun understand it won't last to the end."
In the extreme circumstances of war, many things become a race against time.
Decisions that would never be made in peacetime, actions that would never be taken, must be taken.
Later historians analyze and criticize them…
Yes, that may be correct.
Yes, that may be rational.
But what ought to be pursued is the reason why that choice was not made.
Having stepped—no, half-stepped—into the field of historical studies, Ryo found himself thinking so.
"King Abel of the Knightley Kingdom, if I may ask."
"Permission granted."
"Eh? I haven't even asked yet."
"If it's about whether you may intervene if something happens, right?"
"Yes…"
"Of course, I permit it. Even if the Choouchi Empire or the Phantomkins bear a grudge against the Kingdom afterwards. As the Premier Duke of the Kingdom of Knightley, I authorize your intervention."
"Yes! "
Instant judgment, instant decision.
Moments like this were why Ryo held Abel in such high regard.
As king, as the supreme authority overseeing the nation's governance, he granted permission with the resolve to bear all responsibility.
It was not something an ordinary person could easily do.
But—no, precisely because of that—Ryo understood.
It is because one can do what ordinary people cannot that one is king.
After shooting down thirty wyverns, the cannon barrel split open.
"Damn… is this the end?"
Captain Lu Yao's frustrated voice rang out, and the members of the magic artillery unit who had surrounded the 'cannon' to channel mana into it lowered their heads.
Prince Ryun frowned more deeply than ever, closed his eyes for a brief moment, then lifted his face as if having made a decision.
He addressed Emperor Tsuin:
"Your Majesty, we will have the Imperial Guard deal with the wyverns…"
At that moment, a voice cut in from the side.
"With due respect, Your Majesty, may I be permitted to offer a humble opinion?"
It was Duke Rondo, Ryo, bowing politely, using unusually formal language.
"Hmm? Duke Rondo? Wait a moment. Ryun, state your next measure against the wyverns."
This was the command tent on the battlefield.
Moreover, in the midst of combat.
As supreme commander, Emperor Tsuin first sought the opinion of Prince Ryun, who was responsible for devising the strategy.
"Your Majesty, there are no other effective measures. If Duke Rondo has an effective method, I too would very much like to hear it."
"Ryun speaks thus. Duke Rondo, do you have something?"
"Yes, I do. In fact, I happen to be quite skilled at hunting wyverns."
With that, Ryo smiled brightly.
"Alright, Abel, let's do this."
"O-okay…"
"This time, you don't have to go finish off the ones that fall after being shot down. Cutting through the Imperial Guard while they're fighting would just get in their way."
"Ah, right… I wasn't thinking about that at all."
"What do you mean?! Up until now, I've been the one to shoot them down, and you've been the one to deliver the finishing blow!"
"That was on the way back from the Devil's Mountain to Rune. But your magic can finish them off too, can't it?"
"Well, I've never tried, so I wouldn't know."
Ryo answered deliberately.
Though in truth, he was brimming with confidence.
"Here we go!
The moment Ryo chanted, countless ice spears formed in the sky and assaulted the wyverns.
Wings were pierced, bodies nailed to the ground, ice spears stabbing through torsos and skulls alike.
In an instant, a graveyard of wyverns was created upon the ground.
Ryo nodded in satisfaction at the result.
Abel shook his head slightly, as if to say, 'Same as ever'.
But the others in the Darwei main camp were too stunned to utter a word.
Even more stunned than the Darwei side was the Choouchi Empire's main camp atop the castle walls.
Especially Emperor Wangshang Ku…
"What is that… What in the world is that…"
He could only repeat the words like a delirious mutter.
However, one man standing a little apart had an entirely different reaction.
"Ice spears? Ice spears, right? Ice spears that pierce wyverns so easily. And hundreds of them—in an instant! No doubt about it. No doubt that bastard Duke Rondo is on the battlefield!"
With astonishment and a crazed grin of delight, the Phantom King rejoiced.
Naturally so.
He had joined the war against Darwei precisely because he wanted to fight Duke Rondo.
If that weren't the case, he would have personally gone to open the 'wall' toward the Central Countries…
The Phantom King was fully aware that he was a battle maniac.
"Good. I'm heading to the front lines. Taoran, proceed according to plan."
"As you command."
The Phantom King said with a smile, and Taoran received his orders.
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At one corner of the Darwei army's main camp stood a water-attribute magician, looking pleased as he quietly fulfilled his role.
"Winner takes all, huh."
"Huh?"
"The wyvern magic stones are still lying where those wyverns fell. The side that wins this fight can take the magic stones from those wyverns and keep them all!"
"That's true, but…"
"Abel, haven't you changed since becoming a king—the way you think about money? When we were going from Rondo Forest to Rune, you said the wyvern magic stones were valuable and we should harvest them. Just because you're a wealthy king now doesn't mean you should mock valuable things."
The moment Ryo said that—
It happened truly suddenly.
A man in white eastern attire appeared before the two of them, long black hair hanging down his back.
"Where the hell… did he come from?"
Abel managed to say.
Ryo couldn't say anything.
Even Ryo, confident that his sonar had perfect detection of the surroundings, hadn't noticed the man's arrival.
But what surprised Ryo even more than that was…
"Phantom King?"
This was the first time he'd met the Phantom King's 'true body'.
When they had fought at Kwebasa, Duke Helb had been possessed, so the appearance had been that of Duke Helb.
But now, the presence Ryo felt from the man in front of him was the same as that time.
So, though he asked, he was already certain.
"Long time no see, Duke Rondo. Well— this might be the first time we meet in this form. I am the Phantom King."
At that moment, Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun and Captain Lu Yao stepped between Prince Ryun and the Phantom King to protect their lord.
Following them, Commander Tin of the Forbidden Army moved to shield Emperor Tsuin; chamberlain Wen Shu and other Forbidden Army soldiers moved into positions to guard their sovereign.
"Heh, fine subordinates you've got there, but I'm not interested in them."
"You're only interested in me, then."
"That's right. I heard you defeated Marie at the summer villa. That one is honestly strong. I thought you were pretty strong back at Kwebasa, but I didn't honestly expect you to be able to defeat Marie. But then you beat her, and now I'm curious."
"I already beat you at Kwebasa, so I don't really have any newfound interest now."
"You little…"
Ryo deliberately provoked him. The Phantom King's cheek twitched in rising anger.
Ryo then started walking toward the battlefield.
The Phantom King, not understanding Ryo's intention, stood watching.
"Hey, Phantom King, you're in the way here. If you want to fight, we'll do it over here."
Ryo called out.
At the same time, Ryo gave Abel a small nod.
He was entrusting the rest to him.
Abel returned the small nod.
He understood.
And so, a little removed from the main battlefield and the Darwei main camp, the second match between Ryo and the Phantom King began.
"By the way, what happened to Marie-san?"
"Why do you ask that?"
After they faced off, Ryo asked; the Phantom King answered suspiciously.
"She said she wanted to go to the Western Countries and the Dark Continent. You wouldn't have possessed her like you did Duke Helb, right?"
"Possess Marie? Impossible."
"Is that because her mind is strong?"
"…I had the same thought when we met at Kwebasa, but how much do you actually know?"
"Duke Helb said it. If one's heart doesn't waver, you can't be possessed. But he got possessed. Because he was forced to kill his brother, and his heart wavered then, right?"
"Yeah, that's about right."
The Phantom King answered Ryo's observation as correct.
"How cowardly."
"I won't deny it."
"So since you're here now, you're saying you can't possess Duke Helb anymore?"
"Who knows?"
"That man will never again let his heart waver, I think."
Ryo considered Duke Helb a dangerous opponent not to be underestimated.
He still thought the Duke might ultimately be someone they would have to fight as an enemy.
At the same time, Ryo highly regarded him as an excellent leader.
For the recently succeeded Grand Duchy of Atinjo, Ryo thought it best to thaw him as soon as possible.
So…
"
"Huh?"
"Never mind. It's nothing you need to worry about."
"When you say that, it makes me more curious."
Ryo had released the Ice Coffin in the Atinjo Grand Duchy capital, Cam Pho*, far from Darwei. (TLN: Prev. Kamfor)
Yes—the mana link once established transmits instantly regardless of distance.
Ryo found the phenomenon so uncanny that it made him think of 'quantum entanglement' from particle physics.
Quantum entanglement can't be explained by classical physics.
Two entangled particles change 'instantaneously' together, no matter how far apart they are… almost as if distance doesn't exist.
Are they connected by something like a black hole or a white hole? Or mediated by extra dimensions? It's that level of strangeness.
And it's not just theoretical—it's been confirmed experimentally…
"Back to what we were talking about— could Marie-san have gone to open the 'Wall'?"
"Hey, your topics jump around too much."
"You dodged the question, so that means it's true, right?"
"You little…"
"By the way, the Darwei Emperor said they drew blood to get a 'key' to open the Wall, didn't he? I hear the Wall is still pretty leaky and people can get through in places, but Phantomkins have to properly open it to pass."
"…"
"The Wall and the Corridor were built to prevent things from the Central Countries from getting in, right? So they don't come in anymore? Once opened, can't it be closed?"
"That's something you don't need to know."
The Phantom King answered with a frown at Ryo's words.
Ryo deliberately exchanged such a conversation before the fight because he wanted information.
Opportunities to gather information were rare.
And now was a valuable chance.
The Phantom King had existed—at least been around—for a very long time; chances to speak directly with him would be few.
"I've been speculating a bit. Things that are present in the Central Countries but not in the Eastern Countries, yet remain in old books and legends… maybe those were beings they didn't want coming from the Central Countries. Of course, a few of them must have come and rampaged first. And those incidents were recorded in records like the 'Romance' style books."
"…"
"It's not dragons—they're in the East too. It's not Akumas, they still appear today. From what I know, one match is the 'Djinn'."
"…"
The Phantom King was silent, though a little stiffness showed in his facial muscles.
"Yes, 'Djinn' is how humans call them. They called themselves 'Spellno'?"
"…Themselves? Called themselves? Do you mean to say you know anyone among the Spellno?"
"I do. It's not something to be surprised at, is it?"
"That is surprising!"
To draw information from the other side, one must reveal some information oneself.
The more valuable the information you disclose, the more likely the other party will return valuable information.
If you have no worthwhile info, you'll be looked down upon, right?
"You also mentioned dragons and Akumas earlier—do you really know those kinds of creatures too?"
"Not that I'm friends with them, but I fight them often. Twice with the Azure Dragon… about five times with Akumas. Those guys sure like fighting me. It's troublesome."
"…I see."
Ryo spoke with a smile; the Phantom King replied, looking deflated.
By revealing several bits of information, Ryo's value in the Phantom King's eyes seemed to increase.
But… that, in effect, was a trigger pulled too early.
"Enough. I understand."
"Pardon?"
"In the end, we'll only know once we fight."
"How did you come to that conclusion…"
Clang.
A sudden slash from the Phantom King.
Ryo parried with Murasame.
But Ryo noticed something about the sword the Phantom King wielded.
"That sword is the one Duke Helb had at Kwebasa…"
"Oh? You remember well. The Holy Sword Tatien."
Right after he froze the Duke Helb in ice, Ryo had lost consciousness.
He had woken later in a place like an infirmary.
At that time, he'd asked Abel about the sword.
But Abel had said there was no sword.
He hadn't expected the Phantom King to have it.
But how had he gotten it?
The Phantom King's true body shouldn't have been at Kwebasa…
"How did you get that sword?!"
"I got it back then."
"How could you have gotten it in that situation?"
"No one can understand."
The Phantom King said with a grin.
Ryo grimaced.
Because the Holy Sword Tatien's trait was the worst possible for Ryo.
"When the 'Holy Sword Sublimates', it ignores ma—gi—c…"
"Exactly. For magicians, it's basically a natural enemy. I thought it looked useful, so I took it."
When the Holy Sword 'sublimates' it shines, but for now, it was an ordinary sword.
Even so, the Phantom King's swordplay was sharp.
In handling the blade, he seemed smoother than when they had fought at Kwebasa.
"Fighting in this body is easier than the possessed one."
He said with a boisterous laugh.
Ryo frowned and continued to receive the Phantom King's downward strikes.
Tactically, focusing on defense is common, so that in itself was fine.
(Strong…)
Yes—the Phantom King was strong.
Far stronger than at Kwebasa: his strikes were more forceful, faster, and more technically skilled.
And…
"That diagonal low thrust from below—Marie-san used that too."
"Yeah, one of her signature moves. I couldn't do the quick draw-style thing, but I could imitate this."
It was the troublesome sequence: a slashing overhead that flowed into a succession of diagonal low thrusts.
"You didn't do that at Kwebasa!"
"Well, I wasn't in my own body then. Looking back, I was pretty hampered."
The Phantom King said with a laugh.
As expected of the Phantom King: even using one hand, the cuts were powerful.
And when he struck with both hands, Ryo sometimes couldn't fully deflect… once he took a full hit and felt as if his Murasame-supporting arm would break from the impact.
That was how strong the blows were.
It's always the troublesome gap in racial characteristics.
How fragile and vulnerable humans are.
But whining changes nothing.
If complaints could change things, he'd complain all he wanted, but usually nothing changes…
Ryo took a large backward step.
One deep breath.
"I'll do whatever I can."
He murmured and, as usual, raised Murasame to a ready stance.
That alone shifted the atmosphere.
"Hmm… your aura changes in an instant. Fascinating."
The Phantom King murmured in response to Ryo's change.
"This is why it was worth coming."
He swung his sword up with both hands.
An atmosphere in which neither could move easily.
Building tension.
At some point, the tension would snap.
But then…
"Behind you!"
Suddenly Ryo shouted.
At that instant, the Darwei main camp's curtain was cut open, and a sharp light attacked Emperor Tsuin.
Clang.
The high sound of steel on steel.
The only man who could move at Ryo's shout.
"Well, long time no see, General Yun."
Abel, wielding his crimson magic sword, intercepted General Yun's slash as he charged—taking it in a way that shielded Emperor Tsuin.
Scouting units of the Choouchi Empire cut in as well.
At that moment, Prince Ryun, Commander Tin and others drew their swords and stood before the scouting unit.
"Ugh."
General Yun grimaced.
His ambush had been foiled—he couldn't look pleased.
But their charge had broken a certain balance somewhere.
"Don't let your guard down, Duke Rondo."
The Phantom King's Holy Sword Tatien pierced Ryo's stomach.
It plunged deep; the Phantom King's right arm was stained with Ryo's blood up to the wrist.
"Was creating a balanced state itself… a trap?"
Ryo's Murasame was also embedded in the Phantom King's left shoulder despite his pained expression.
He couldn't cut it off because it wasn't a pure mutual strike—the damage Ryo had taken was greater.
"Of course. An opponent like you wouldn't present an easy opening. But a direct raid on the main camp would at least make you glance that way for an instant. If the ambush itself succeeded, that'd be fine. Our emperor would be pleased."
The Phantom King, despite bleeding on his shoulder, grinned.
He seemed pleased that a rather large-scale plan had worked.
"Suppose I should be honored that you devised such an elaborate scheme just to land a blow on me."
"You're awfully calm for someone with a sword stuck in your gut."
"I've had my heart pierced by a Djinn's arm before—compared to that…"
"Are you really human?"
Ryo tried to show he wasn't affected, while actually breaking out in cold sweat; the Phantom King was exasperated.
"After all that ambush, you only managed to stab a sword into my stomach. What now?"
"…I'm amazed you're still trying to provoke me in that state."
Still exasperated, the Phantom King said.
There was a reason Ryo continued talking so long with a sword lodged in his belly.
He wanted to learn about the Holy Sword Tatien the Phantom King used.
Since Tatien was currently embedded in Ryo, it was essentially constantly being analyzed by Ryo's water-attribute magic.
If Tatien's trait was to 'reflect magic' or to 'reject all magic' rather than to 'ignore magic', Ryo's water-attribute magic might not have been able to parse it.
But because its trait was to 'ignore magic'.
For example, it would be impossible to bend or break Tatien with water-attribute magic.
In short, you can't affect Tatien by magic… the meaning of 'ignoring magic.'
But observing it with magic seemed possible…
Ryo felt that 'observation' itself might logically be ignored too… but perhaps its nature wasn't strictly 'ignore magic'.
He hadn't read the manual after all…
The Phantom King just mentioned it back in Kwebasa…
In any case, sacrificing his own belly, Ryo gathered data.
Of course, he had formed an ice membrane over his organs and blood vessels to minimize bleeding.
Still, his limit was approaching.
(The pain is getting stronger.)
Meanwhile, the raiders' side was embroiled in fierce close combat.
The most intense duel there was likely Abel versus General Yun.
The two were fighting for the second time.
Their first encounter had taken place at the Rondo Manor.
Because the indoor ceiling was low, they had to rely on thrusts and horizontal slashes.
Ryo's comment that it looked cramped was well-founded.
But this time was different.
Although it was the Darwei main camp, there was no roof.
All around, Choouchi scouting units were fighting Darwei leaders, but Abel and General Yun's duel was so fierce.
That people were gradually distancing themselves.
No one wants to be dragged into someone else's fight…
"You were strong even at the Rondo Manor."
"Thanks."
Abel tried to draw information out with words, but General Yun kept his answers short.
"What, no time to chat while fighting?"
"You just want info from me. I won't fall for that."
"That's a shame."
Abel's attempt was foiled.
But Abel noticed General Yun kept glancing at the crimson magic sword.
"What? Is this your first time seeing a magic sword? No—that can't be. Phantomkins live a long time, right?"
"I've seen hundreds of magic swords. But that one is…"
Clang.
Abel and General Yun moved into a cross-guard clash.
That put Abel's magic sword right before General Yun's face…
"Looks like the sword Richard used."
General Yun muttered.
That murmured remark surprised Abel.
Well, he was getting somewhat used to surprises these days.
He'd heard that his ancestor was quite an active character.
Fought Djinns, fought the ghost ship Ruri… probably other inhuman beings too, he guessed.
Phantomkins seemed to be among them as well.
"Yeah, apparently it was the sword used by my ancestor King Richard. I only learned myself recently."
Abel said in a deliberately light tone.
"…A descendant of Richard?"
General Yun frowned.
"You must have fought King Richard. Did you lose?"
"I didn't so much lose as… I simply couldn't handle him."
"Don't feel bad."
General Yun's low voice carried an emotion like anger; Abel sensed it.
"Crimson swordsman, if you are Richard's descendant, it's just right for me to throw my full power at you."
"No need to throw your full strength. We'll both get hurt. And my name is Abel, General Yun."
"Understood, Abel. You naming yourself is a provocation asking me to come at you with all I've got."
"Were you even listening to me?"
For some reason, General Yun lost his previously calm composure and began to appear excited for battle.
Abel lamented that the conversation had ended.
"I tried to learn alchemy after I lost to Richard."
"Yeah… King Richard is said to have reached the pinnacle of alchemy."
"Descendant, take this."
"Seriously?"
"'Mimicry: Thousand-Hand Kannon'."
At the moment General Yun chanted, his sword gave off a pale alchemy glow.
The next moment…
Dozens of invisible slashes attacked Abel!
Clang, clang, clang…
"You deflect them all! As befits Richard's descendant."
"You're nothing like the calm, collected general from before!"
Abel pointed out the dramatic change in Yun.
"Wait—you're a Phantomkin, right? How can you use alchemy?"
"Alchemy is made so anyone can use it, isn't it?"
"Eh, really…?"
Abel faltered under what sounded like a logical counter.
Yes, alchemy tools are made for anyone to use.
That doesn't mean alchemy itself is something anyone can just use.
"Then how about this! 'Mimicry: Thousand-Hand Kannon — All-Range'."
When Yun chanted, Abel felt something arise behind him.
He couldn't look.
He had no time.
But he could sense it.
"An all-directional attack!"
He judged in an instant.
He acted in an instant.
He ran at Yun at full speed.
Clang.
They crossed blades; Abel lowered his posture, ran past Yun's side and turned back.
By doing so, he put Yun between himself and the countless unseen blades coming from the air, using Yun as a shield.
"Quick decision."
"To survive as an adventurer, quick judgment is everything."
"But it's a trap."
The moment Yun said it, wind ran upward from under Abel's feet.
Something like an
Yun had set it up, anticipating Abel's move.
Clang, clang…
"What—?"
The running wind struck Abel and bounced off.
Yun was surprised.
"Ah… ice armor. That
"Ice? Could it be Duke Rondo!"
"As expected of my partner. Even while facing a tough opponent, he's protecting me."
Abel said, laughing a little proudly.
That partner of Abel's still had a sword stuck in his stomach.
Yet…
The Phantom King, who had been casually keeping the sword in, suddenly winced a little, pulled the blade out, and leapt far back.
Ryo, wounded with a large hole in his belly, naturally couldn't pursue.
"Ugh…"
A groan came from the Phantom King, not Ryo.
"Hey, Duke Rondo… what did you do to my body?"
"I didn't do anything. Probably just your imagination?"
"Like hell it is!"
His shout wasn't loud.
Eventually, the Phantom King dropped to one knee.
"Holy Sword Sublimation: 'Scatter'."
The Phantom King chanted.
But nothing happened.
"Impossible…"
The Phantom King muttered, not loudly.
But his eyes were wide.
"That was the Holy Sword Sublimation that 'scatters' magical effects, right? Too bad—the power of Holy Sword Tatien has been sealed."
"It can't be…"
"I couldn't fully analyze it, but I could seal the Holy Sword Sublimation."
Ryo smiled brightly.
He seemed satisfied he could use the analysis data he'd obtained at the cost of his own belly.
"Damn, I can't mobilize my strength…"
"You look in bad shape."
Ryo walked slowly toward the Phantom King, who was on one knee and unable to move.
Holding Murasame in his right hand.
"Tell me again—what did you do?"
"I'll answer again; it's your imagination."
Ryo looked the very embodiment of shamelessness.
Obviously, it wasn't the Phantom King's imagination.
He couldn't move.
"Phantom King, then—farewell."
At that moment, the Phantom King's head was cut off and his heart pierced.
-x-X-x-
The sight of the Phantom King's head being severed and his heart pierced could be seen even from the Darwei main camp.
It was visible to those fighting too—to Abel and General Yun.
"It looks like my partner did it. Give up and retreat."
"…I refuse."
"What?"
They wouldn't retreat at a time like this?
Why?
Abel shouted at once.
"Ryo!"
"I know!"
Ryo shouted back.
Yes—in other words, it wasn't over yet.
Even before Abel called out, Ryo had noticed.
He had felled the Phantom King, but he hadn't finished him off…
"This is supposed to be the way to kill a Phantomkin, right?"
Duke Helb had said once before.
If he were possessed, cut off his head and pierce the heart, the vessel of the soul.
He had followed that exactly… but Ryo had the uneasy feeling the Phantom King hadn't truly been finished.
And in Ryo's mind, connected via Duke Helb, another scene surfaced:
The incident at the Atinjo Grand Duchy embassy in Kwebasa.
There, Abel had cut off Secretary Zlurma's head and pierced his heart.
But the headless corpse of Zlurma had come at him.
"That one… Duke Helb etched a star-shaped magic circle on his chest."
Ryo thought as he slit open the Phantom King's clothing with the tip of Muramasa while the fallen figure lay on his back.
And indeed, on that chest…
"There's a star-shaped magic circle. What does this mean? This isn't the real Phantom King?"
"That's incorrect, Duke Rondo."
Clang.
Ryo deflected, with Muramasa, the head of the Phantom King that lunged at him, and leapt sharply backwards.
Through the space he'd vacated, the Phantom King sat up, and the head settled back into its proper place.
But… something was different.
"Ah! The hair—it was black, now it's white."
Right, the Phantom King's hair had become long and white.
But with the Phantom King's face and white hair, that meant…
"Could it be, the special envoy Berke?"
"Yes, well, that's correct."
He no longer had the Phantom King's savagery; instead, he bore the polite but commanding presence of the special envoy Berke.
"Dual personalities?"
"Well, I don't know that word. This body has always been used by my brother and me… my brother played the role of the Phantom King, but the two of us shared it."
Ryo's modern terminology didn't land, but Berke was clearly speaking of a complicated arrangement between two people.
Berke's smile widened as he spoke.
"Anyway, that technique earlier was splendid."
"…"
"You, Duke Rondo, are a water-attribute magician. Yes, that's right."
"What are you talking about…?"
"By bathing oneself in one's own blood to let it invade the opponent's body, mixing the blood and then manipulating the blood flow… I hadn't thought of that approach."
"You must be mistaken?"
Like a magician whose trick had been seen through, Ryo slid his gaze sideways.
Of course, it had no effect.
"In short, this body is contaminated by Duke Rondo's blood."
"Uh, could you phrase that a little more gently?"
"So then I will do this."
When Special Envoy Berke said that, twelve talisman-slips fluttered around him.
"
At that instant, Berke's body burst into flame.
"Huh?"
Even Ryo couldn't make sense of it.
The clothes remained intact while only the body seemed to burn…
The body turned completely to ash, and the next moment a dazzling light enveloped the area.
When the light faded, Special Envoy Berke stood there again.
"…What?"
"Yes. I revived from the ashes."
"You're not senile…"
Ryo replied with a grimace.
The new Berke had clean hands.
In other words, the blood Ryo had splashed earlier was completely gone.
Ryo's earlier method could no longer be used.
Clang.
Special Envoy Berke lunged with movement too fast even to see clearly.
Ryo had anticipated and braced, so he parried the blow…
"Quite fast and strong."
"Thank you."
Berke nodded slightly at Ryo's involuntary remark.
At that moment, something caught Ryo's eye:
Figures running from near the castle.
Berke seemed to notice Ryo noticing.
A sly smile crept across his face.
"Those are… 'vessels', are they?"
"That's right, Duke Rondo."
Berke answered honestly to Ryo's question.
The running 'vessels'.
Their number must be no less than ten thousand.
"Thanks to General Yun and the scout unit's surprise attack, the Darwei command post is in chaos. This is the best time to strike."
"And they… have talismans."
"Of course. The command post is in disarray, so magic bombardment will be difficult, but you are here, Duke Rondo."
Berke's smile remained.
But his eyes did not share the same sentiment.
"Your magic attacks are troublesome. Still, with talismans, they can be broken."
"You flatter me by valuing me so highly."
"Of course. Duke Rondo, if we cannot restrain you, this battle cannot be won. Therefore…"
Clang, clang, clang.
"I will occupy you."
A flurry of blows at a speed greater than before.
Even Ryo found the speed difficult to parry.
It was the kind of assault that left him no option but to defend.
No counterattack was possible.
Ryo drew a breath to steady himself.
Berke then pulled his sword back and leapt backward.
The torrent of strikes halted for the moment, but there was nothing to be done.
He felt something significant had occurred.
He sensed, for an instant, that something had changed.
He couldn't say exactly what had changed.
But… something certainly had.
Across from him, Ryo stood as usual in seigan stance with his blade.
Eyes half-closed.
Even though Berke had drawn back and created distance, he did not pursue.
He made a complete stand-and-wait. "Come at me", his posture said.
"Very well—that is exactly what I want."
Berke said this and poured in an attack.
It was a barrage of strikes that blurred to the eye.
Power, speed, technique—everything showed a high grade of mastery.
Ryo devoted himself entirely to defense.
But precisely because of that…
He could not be broken.
"I'll be damned."
Berke could not help but murmur, awed.
Unwavering, unbroken, unhurt.
Truly, a perfect defense.
It was a defense so absolute there was not even a probing counter—a total passive reception.
Even a phantomkin who had lived as long as Berke could not recall fighting an opponent so exclusively defensive.
"Interesting."
Berke muttered, and charged again.
Forceful charges, speed-based feints… but then he realized something.
His techniques could not find purchase.
Against an opponent who gives no opening, technique cannot be leveraged.
Berke realized, with surprise.
The sword arts that relied on the opponent attacking—parrying and redirecting, entwining blades, appearing to receive, then slipping in a counterstrike… all depended on the opponent making an attack.
If the opponent is entirely committed to defending and doesn't attack, those techniques cannot be executed.
"Remarkable."
A frank compliment.
Yet Ryo gave no reaction to that praise.
He remained in his stance, eyes half-lidded.
He displayed perfect defense against Berke's blows, yet…
Berke's suspicion deepened.
The next moment, he felt a wave.
The sensation of his controlled 'vessels' disappearing.
"What?"
There had been roughly twenty thousand of the 'vessels' released from the castle.
But they had dwindled to five thousand… then four thousand… then three thousand.
"This is impossible."
The talismans were functioning.
Forty of them floated three meters above the vessels' heads.
Front, side, rear… in total three hundred talismans protecting them.
And yet, even now, the vessels kept disappearing.
Berke was tempted to turn and check behind him.
He couldn't.
Duke Rondo stood before him.
Even if Ryo was entirely defensive, showing any gap would invite an attack.
What to do?
Berke rushed at Ryo again.
Clang.
His sword passed a hand's breadth past Ryo's side and swung around to look back.
Beyond Ryo, Berke saw the vessels.
"Are they stumbling?"
Yes—the vessels were falling.
As if running on an icy floor…they slipped and fell; just when their heads were about to strike the ground, a strange icicle pillar stood there and skewered their heads and necks.
And they vanished.
"This can't be."
Berke's voice leaked the words as he burned the image of the last vessel's disappearance into his mind.
"Anything can happen on a battlefield."
Ryo said, still in his ready stance.
"Anything can be achieved with magic."
Ryo's eyes remained half-lidded.
At those words, anger finally showed on Berke's face.
"So it is… if I don't defeat you, everything collapses, does it, Duke Rondo?"
Witnessing that expression and words, Ryo inwardly felt a small, private relief.
Yes—the usual trick.
Depriving the opponent of composure is the most basic of interpersonal combat.
It's not easy to take calm from a composed adversary.
The most effective method is to exceed their expectations.
The destruction of the vessels had done exactly that.
"
An opaque hemisphere of the hardest ice, twenty meters in radius, enclosed the two of them.
"Hm?"
"You have to defeat me anyway; I have to defeat you. This will be the final battle inside here."
"I see. Very well."
<
<
Everything outside was in Abel's hands.
The utmost trust.
So Ryo concentrated on the inside.
He had succeeded in taking away Berke's composure.
But the real fight began now.
When you rob an opponent of calm and make them angry…
Clang.
Strength increases. Because they're furious.
(That's expected.)
Ryo thought.
Clang, clang…
But Berke's…
(His speed had increased as well.)
Normally, extra tension in the body reduces speed.
But this phantomkin before him did not seem ordinary.
Sometimes it happens.
Some people become terrifyingly strong when they rage…
(Berke is that type…)
Ryo sighed inwardly.
(There's nothing I can do but return to the basics. Always return to fundamentals.)
To defend.
That was Ryo's basic.
When in trouble, revert to fundamentals.
That rule applies everywhere.
That's why steady daily training matters.
Because of that foundation, no matter how dire the situation, you don't fall into despair.
Special Berke Envoy was a sorcerer.
His attacks came not only from the sword but also from talismans and magic.
No matter where or what kind of attack, for Ryo it all came to one point: himself.
Therefore, what he had to do was only one thing.
Protect himself.
What Ryo did did not change.
The situation was simple.
His thoughts were organized.
Ryo's concentration reached its limit.
At that moment, Ryo's mind was calm.
No, beyond calm: it sank, sank, sank.
He sank into a place utterly without wavering.
It was a world of absolute, unbroken silence.
'Outside', Berke's barrage struck toward Ryo… far from silent.
But within Ryo's mind, there was not a trace of disturbance: silence reigned.
An endless, eternal silence.
Ryo thought of nothing.
Ryo perceived nothing.
Ryo simply… continued to exist there.
How much time passed?
Suddenly, Ryo's silence ended.
When he opened his eyes, Berke was propping himself up on the holy sword Tatien, barely standing.
Berke's attacks had stopped entirely.
And thus Ryo's silence had come to an end.
"Why… won't you collapse?"
"It's the fruit of effort."
Ryo answered Berke's question not with triumph but with a wry smile.
This endurance was not talent alone.
Calling it luck would be insulting.
So he could only call it the result of effort.
Hence the wry smile.
Faced with an opponent superior in strength, speed, and technique.
The reason for victory was stamina—the ability to outlast.
Wearing them down with defense.
"This brings back memories."
Ryo muttered, recalling past battles.
Against those who outclassed him in every way, he had overcome them with stamina earned by effort.
Perhaps this was a return to the fundamentals.
"I see. When I'm reborn, I'll continue to train."
Berke sprang with a movement that belied the fact he'd barely been propped up on his sword.
Ryo understood this was the last move and sprang in as well.
Berke's head was cut off.
In the same instant, Murasame pierced Berke's heart from behind.
"
Outside the dome, many people had gathered.
"Huh?"
Ryo couldn't help the word slipping from his mouth.
"Ryo, you're safe… right?"
Abel said, looking at Ryo and at Special Envoy Berke, whose head had been severed.
"As you can see, it ended safely."
"Yeah, this side is finished too. Cutting Berke off completely proved effective. We recovered the castle, and most of the 'vessels' are destroyed."
"And the opposing emperor?"
"Commander Tin and Captain Lu Yao captured him. No problem."
"That's good."
Ryo finally smiled.
Sheathing Murasame, he said,
"Abel, well done."
"You too, Ryo."
This was the northwest of Darwei.
An area forbidden even to ordinary people and where—even the Shitaifu class of Darwei—was not granted permission to approach.
Naturally, there were no towns or villages around.
The nearest settlement must have been over a hundred kilometers away.
In that remote place, a woman stood alone.
She held a fist-sized red lump in her hand and appeared to be searching for something.
After walking a little, the red lump in her hand glowed strongly.
A straight beam of light shot forth from the lump.
"Ah—so I put this here."
The woman, Marie Cloche, Seven-Star General of the Choouchi Empire, murmured as she walked to the place the beam indicated and pressed the red lump into it.
Crack.
A thin, glass-like sound echoed.
In the next instant, the spot that had been a tall chain of rocks became a complete void.
"When I touched it earlier, it was rock… oh well,"
Marie said, and passed through the opened 'wall'.
At that moment, the 'wall' that for nearly a thousand years had separated the Eastern Countries from the Central Countries was opened—anyone could now pass through the 'Corridor' at will.
"Boss, I kept my promise. Goodbye."
Marie said, then set off westward.
A month after the Battle of the Pyurai Plain ended, a grand ceremony was held at the Imperial Palace in the capital Hanlin.
It was a ceremony marking the departure of Duke Rondo, the premier duke of the Knightley Kingdom, who had become a 'friendly nation'.
"Duke Rondo's cooperation and the friendship of the Knightley Kingdom will remain in Darwei's memory forever."
"We will take those words deeply to heart and bring them back to our country."
Ryo, the Duke of Rondo, replied to Emperor Tsuin's words.
Escorted by civil and military officials, Ryo and Abel departed the Imperial Palace.
"Man, I've got a ton of memories of the capital."
"Yeah."
Ryo and Abel stood on the deck of the public ship Tenth Vessel, which was docked at the capital's port.
Beside them were their two beloved horses.
"Andalusia, it's a long way to the Knightley Kingdom, but let's go together."
Ryo said, and the flaxen-gray horse nuzzled him happily.
Naturally, they decided to bring both horses back to the kingdom.
It was a long trip, and having horses would be convenient even for a slow return.
"Well, my Feiwan and your Andalusia both look sturdy, so it should be fine."
Abel said, and the black horse Feiwan licked Abel's face.
An expression of affection.
"First, we'll head to the Atinjo Grand Duchy and return this sword."
Ryo said, tapping the Holy Sword Tatien.
It had originally belonged to the Grand Duke of Atinjo… so they intended to return it after reclaiming it on the battlefield.
He planned to greet Duke Helb, who might well be thawed out by then.
"After that, we'll pass through the Corridor from Darwei's northwest into the Central Countries, and head back to the Knightley Kingdom."
"That'll take a while."
"Can't be helped. Let's take it easy."
Neither Abel nor Ryo was in a hurry.
They had two more traveling companions now: the two horses.
"Then, Duke Rondo and Abel-dono, we set sail."
Said, as always, Captain Captain La Wu of the Tenth Vessel.
"All right, sure."
"Farewell, Darwei!"
Thus, Abel and Ryo set off on their journey home to the kingdom.
Author's note:
This concludes 'Volume Three: The Eastern Nations'.
Thank you very much.
In the meantime, I recommend reading the Light Novel version.
I wrote it with the intention that even those who have read the Web Novel version would enjoy it.
Light Novel version Volumes 1-5 include the serialized side story 'The Fire-Attribute Wizard'.
(Totaling over 120,000 characters; completed in 5 volumes)
I highly recommend the books even to those who dislike Oscar. It might change your impression of him a little.
In addition, the Light Novel version includes tens of thousands of additional words in the main text.
Volumes 3, 5, 6 and 7 have had over 100,000 words added to them.
There are new chapters exclusive to the Light Novel version, as well as chapters that barely resemble the original Web Novel version…
(The seventh volume I'm writing now, the original text is less than 50,000 words… 200,000 words is new text…)
If you enjoyed the Web Novel version of Water Attribute Magician, then you will definitely find the Light Novel version of Water Attribute Magician interesting!
Now, regarding the Web Novel version of 'Volume 4: The Dark Continent Arc'… I will definitely post it eventually.
That's why people have been gathering at the Dark Continent and the Western Nations just before it.
Some Djinn-like people were also sent flying there… and Marie is heading there too… and Room No. 10 and Oscar are in the Western countries, right?
Oh yes, there was also a new war between the Western Church and the vampires in the Western Nations.
All that's left is for Ryo and Abel to go… mumble mumble.
-x-X-x-
"The world is so wonderful!"
On the deck of the Tenth Public Vessel, a water-attribute magician cried out like that.
"Yeah, it really is."
The swordsman beside him replied, but there was no vigor in his voice.
Predictably, the water magician shot him a hard glare.
"Abel is always like that. He has a slanted view of the world and only expresses negatively. If he were to cut back on that a bit more, people would be more likely to follow him."
"No, I also think the view outside the deck is magnificent. I agree with that from the bottom of my heart. But when you say 'the world', you've got to include the deck too. On the deck…"
On the deck, a small drinking party had been set up.
Four participants looked fairly drunk.
Of course, they weren't members of the tenth ship's crew.
The crew, intent on navigating the vessel properly, rarely drank aboard the public ship to the point of drunkenness.
"Whee—drinking on a ship is great~"
"So this is what getting drunk feels like~"
"Can't swing my sword…"
"When you're drunk, even opening a 'Gate' to fetch booze becomes a hassle~"
Four Akumas—Leonor, Pastra, Argenta, and Jean-Jacques—were holding a drinking party.
"What a wonderful sight…so peaceful…"
"Is that so?"
Ryo said with a strained expression, and Abel gave him a dubious look.
"Seriously, why are Akumas on the deck of the public vessel?"
"Because Jean-Jacques opened a 'Gate' and they came through…"
"Yeah, when I say 'why' here, I mean why in the sense of reason, not how."
"I don't know how to answer that."
Ryo said, frowning and shaking his head.
It had happened only thirty minutes ago.
The party had departed the imperial capital of Hanlin and was heading for the Atinjo Grand Duchy.
Ryo and Abel, as usual, were idly passing the afternoon on the deck.
Ryo was fiddling with the Flight Ring he'd bought in Darwei, and Abel was practicing sword swings.
Then, with no warning at all, a jet-black 'Gate' opened and four Akumas stepped out.
"I suppose this is perfect for us."
Leonore said—Ryo heard it.
"Right?"
Jean-Jacques replied—Ryo heard that too.
"Good to have a place to run experiments."
Pastra nodded—Ryo heard that as well.
"There's enough room to swing a sword."
Argenta murmured—Ryo heard that too.
After that, the drinking party began.
"You should've stopped them, Ryo."
"It's not my fault!"
Abel accused, and Ryo snapped back, flustered.
"Who here has ever beaten any of these four?"
"W-well, that would be me…"
"Then realistically speaking, who could have stopped them?"
"W-well, it would only have been me…"
Ryo kept glancing at the four who were drinking.
For reasons he couldn't fully explain, their presence on this ship was connected to Ryo… he had to admit that much.
But admitting that didn't mean he could simply stop them. He had only ever beaten them one-on-one.
What would happen if he fought all four at once?
Absolutely impossible.
After all, they were Akumas.
By the way, when the four appeared, the crew of the tenth ship, including Captain La Wu, had been surprised— but after a while, no one cared.
They realized the Akumas weren't going to damage the ship or harm the crew.
Quiet exchanges of information circulated among them.
"They're acquaintances of Duke Rondo."
That single remark was enough for the crew to stop worrying.
And get back to their duties.
The situation added pressure on Ryo.
It was true that the four Akumas were acquaintances of Ryo. No doubt.
In fact, most of them had tried to take his life.
Still, there was no choice but to ask.
There was no one else to question.
"Um— excuse me."
"Hm? What's up, Ryo?"
"Ryo, you want a drink?"
Leonor asked, and Jean-Jacques invited.
Argenta silently offered a cup. Apparently, for Ryo to use.
"No, I'm fine. That's not it—what are you doing here?"
"As you can see, we're having a drinking party."
Leonor answered, tilting her head. As if it were obvious.
"Wasn't asking about that. I mean, why are you having a drinking party here?"
"Experiment."
Pastra answered in a single word.
Yes—he knew she liked research and experiments.
"What kind of experiment?"
"To see whether Akumas get drunk when they drink on a ship."
"…Excuse me?"
Pastra had given a perfectly concise answer.
As words, it was flawless.
The perfect reply to Ryo's question.
And yet it made no sense.
Then…
Ryo noticed a more fundamental doubt.
"Do Akumas even get drunk from alcohol?"
"If they cut the decomposition circuit, they do."
"Decomposition circuit?"
"The circuit that breaks down alcohol and poisons."
"Is there actually such a thing…?"
Ryo nodded at Pastra's succinct explanation.
He couldn't follow the fine technical details, of course, but he accepted that Akumas must have such a circuit.
At the same time, he understood why poisons normally don't affect them.
This might be useful information for the next fight… maybe.
There's always a chance!
Ryo left the four and returned to sit beside Abel.
"They say it's an experiment to see whether drinking on a ship makes Akumas drunk."
"Yeah—I heard that."
"They say if you cut the decomposition circuit, Akumas will get drunk."
"I heard that too."
"…That's it."
Ryo couldn't bring himself to say more.
"There were a lot of things I wanted you to ask them— like why here, and when they'll leave."
Abel sighed theatrically.
"I thought I should get that kind of info too! I really did think so, but…"
"But?"
"They were having such a good time drinking, so I thought, ah well, whatever."
"…I see."
Both Ryo and Abel sighed.
Because it was peaceful, it was probably fine.
Then…
"All right, conclusion reached!"
Leonor declared, standing up.
She moved closer to Ryo and said,
"Then, Ryo, let's fight."
"Huh?"
Leonor smiled while Ryo looked like a pigeon struck by a bean-shooter.
But Ryo quickly pulled himself together.
"That's not allowed."
"Why not?"
"Because you're drunk."
"If I restore the decomposition circuit, the drunkenness will wear off, right?"
"People who are drunk will insist they're not drunk."
"Hm?"
Ryo asserted emphatically, but Leonor only cocked her head.
"Look at that swordsman, Abel."
"Hmm."
"He always claims he's not a battle fiend, but is that really so?"
"If someone says that himself, he's definitely a battle fiend."
Leonor agreed strongly with Ryo.
"It's the same here! You can't tell for yourself."
"Is that so? Then it can't be helped this time. We'll fight the next time we meet."
Ryo employed his usual dodgy logic to dodge the issue.
Hearing Leonor's answer, Ryo inwardly relaxed— that went without saying.
The four Akumas left.
They had arrived like a storm and departed like one.
"Phew, I somehow got through that. Still, what on earth was that?"
"Hey, Ryo."
"What is it, Abel?"
"You called me a battle fiend earlier, didn't you?"
"Ah, that was just a figure of speech. I said it to get out of the situation. Inside, I was crying about having to sacrifice you, you know?"
"Oh ho~"
Ryo blurted that out in a fluster, and Abel shot him a suspicious look.
"You always say it: first survive, then profit comes after. That spirit."
"Fine."
Abel let the matter go.
Abel understood as well. It was thanks to Ryo's peculiar persuasion that the Akumas had gone away.
If those Akumas had decided to go on a rampage, everyone except Ryo—Abel included—would have been killed instantly.
They were beings nobody wanted nearby.
"But why did they show up here?"
"I'm wondering about the same thing."
Abel wondered, and Ryo frowned and shook his head.
He continued,
"When something abnormal behaves abnormally, perhaps something abnormal is about to happen."
"That's an unpleasant thought."
Abel shook his head, frowning.
The Akumas' visit had left both Ryo and Abel perplexed.